The use of amino compounds reacted with aldehydes is well know in the Art to produce aminoplasts for use as an adhesive and resins but the aminoplasts will not produce delignification of the lignin from lignin cellulose plants. The novel process of this invention to produce delignification of lignin cellulose plants and produce amino lignin, amino cellulose and amino lignin cellulose, hemi-cellulose, carbohydrates and other products by the use of amino compounds in an aqueous solution as the delignification compounds is novel. Urea, guanidine compounds or combination urea and other amino compounds when heated in an aqueous solution containing particles of lignin cellulose it produces a delignification of the lignin from the lignin cellulose by the urea reacts with lignin and with some of the amino compound is reacted with the lignin attached to the lignin cellulose to produce amino lignin cellulose and amino cellulose. There is also some hemi-cellulose, carbohydrates, rosin and other compounds found in the aqueous solution containing the lignin and amino lignin. The amino salt of lignin is produced by the novel method of mixing an amino compound, preferable urea and/or guanidine compounds, in water with particles of lignin cellulose plants which is then soaked at ambient temperature and pressure for 12 to 24 hours or heated at ambient or elevated pressure at 100 degree C. to 150 degree C. for 0.5 to 4 hours or longer thereby reacting the amino compound with lignin and breaking the lignin cellulose bond and the amino compound reacts with cellulose and the lignin that is still attached to the cellulose to produce amino cellulose and amino lignin cellulose. The amino lignin, carbohydrates, hemi-cellulose, lignin and other compounds are soluble in water and is separated from the amino salt of lignin cellulose, amino cellulose and lignin cellulose by filtration. The carbohydrates may be separated from the water soluble amino lignin and lignin by using an organic solvent in which the amino lignin is soluble and the carbohydrates are not.
There are many patents and articles related to the use of urea formaldehyde combined with lignin sulfate and Kraft lignin but the urea is not utilized for delignification as in this invention. Some patents such a U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,366,265, 2,622,979 and 3,994,860 use lignin sulfonate as an additive to aminoplast and phenoplasts. I have not found any article or patents that utilize amino compounds for delignification and react an amino compound to produce amino lignin in the process of delignification. When urea is reacted with the know types of lignin such as lignin sulfonate, Kraft lignin (alkali process) a completely different salt of lignin is formed such as urea salt of lignin sulfonate. The Kraft lignin has to be modified in order for it to be chemically active.